


Meteor Shower

by FuckingSadBoi



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cages, Fluff and Angst, Freedom, Hurt Nico di Angelo, Mad Scientists, Nico di Angelo-centric, Nico-centric, Science Experiments, romance? not in my story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:41:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27485941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuckingSadBoi/pseuds/FuckingSadBoi
Summary: Nico picked at the new black paint on the wall, curled up with a blanket on his bed. The black paint was supposed to trap heat, the book has said. But all Nico could feel was the chilling cold in his bones.It was lingering in the ache of his bones, the dryness of his eyes, and the emptiness of his stomach. He dug his nails into the paint, dragging them down and down until there were 5 long, broken streaks of grey. Picking out the chips of paint under his nails, Nico thought about the escape. Or the attempted escape.Or, Science Experiment AU.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	Meteor Shower

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha, me ignoring my public works for multiple other fics? Never.

> " I've got miles of regrets and confusing friends, but perhaps it's just my stupid head in the end. Thinking, should I wait here or make my way home? You said, go. You said go. " 

* * *

N1-C0 watched as another subject struggled in their restraints, trying desperately to get free. They tried pulling one of their hands out, quickly crying out in pain as it failed.

"It's not gonna work," he muttered. They looked over, eyes teary but determined. " What?" He coughed, then louder he said. "It's not gonna work."

"How do you know." They said heatedly. "Have you ever tried?"

"We all have, kid," D13-G0 said, wiping down their dagger with a dirty shirt. "And we all fail." D13-G0 was older than N1-C0, he's seen far more failed attempts than N1-C0 has. Hell, D13-G0 has even seen N1-C0's. 

"Well, maybe I'll be the first." They said, uncertainty leaking into their voice. Then they shook their head and their eyes were alight with determination again. "I _will_ be the first."

"Whatever," D13-G0 said. He was cold and blunt, and it clearly hurt the kid. He probably wasn't any better, but he's never tried. N1-C0 tilted his head, "What's your number, kid."

"Number?" They asked. He nodded, "The number they assign you, they should have tattoed it somewhere on you."

The suddenly glanced down at their arm. Pulling down their sleeve, they read off their numbers. "P3-T3R."

"Alright, nice to know P3-T3R," Nico said, trying to note it mentally. They hesitated before saying, "You can call me Xander, it's my name."

N1-C0 shook his head, "That number is your name now. Your old life is gone, kid. Accept it."

"No." They said. Then, almost like they were trying to convince themselves, they declared, "I _will_ make it out, and when I do, you'll have to call me my name."

D13-G0 shook his head, "That's what all the negatives say."

"Negatives?" They questioned. No one said anything, the quiet tense. But then the lights flickered off seconds later. And the smoke came, like usual. N1-C0 breathed it in, feeling everything go dark.

* * *

Sleep was never easy in the Labs though. And with new subjects, it seemed even harder.

"Don't go, Mama," Someone, a child, quietly cried out. N1-C0 blinked away the sleep, grabbing the knife hidden under the bed. He barely relaxed his grip at seeing it was P3-T3R. 

"What're you doing up?" N1-C0 asked. P3-T3R hiccupped, furiously rubbing at their eyes. "Nothing... just, can't sleep "

N1-C0 nodded, "Nightmares?" They were common with subjects, new and old. P3-T3R nodded slowly, curling in on themselves more and more. N1-C0 turned his head away, bitting his cheek as he tried to think of what to say. 'Do- do you want to talk about it?"

They shrugged, eyes downcast his arms wrapped around himself. "... no." N1-C0 nodded, taking in an anxious breath. 

"Do you want me to talk?" He tried, remembering when W®-3N used to stay up talking to D13-G0 about the outside. Remembering eavesdropping for multiple nights as they told stories of a world so far away and mysterious. He especially remembers hearing them talk about watching their parents die, being taken prisoner, and almost killing a handler when they took off the chains. And then N1-C0 remembers watching them die and get labelled a negative. "I can if you don't want to."

P3-T3R nods, his arms shaky like it's taking everything just to hold himself together. N1-C0 gives a small nod back, trying to give a low, soothing hum as they sit next to the new subject. "Well, I can tell you about the labs, or the testing. But if you don't want to hear that I can-, I can tell you about myself?"

P3-T3R holds up a 3, giving a wobbly smile when N1-C0 gives them a gentle one. "Well, I'm N1-C0. I came here when I was 5. I had an older sister, her name was B1-AN3, who had also came here. She was 7. She's always been," N1-C0 purses his lips, trying to think of a word. " _ambitious,_ always thought she could do big things. And she had."

"She-," he stopped, "She got out. They escaped and I never saw her again."

"She sound like a bad sister." P3-T3R says, rubbing at their nose. N1-C0 shakes his head, "She left me, yeah. But she also loved me. In here, thats the most she could give. But out there, she could've had so much more. And I can't blame her forever for wanting to leave, as much as I wish I could sometimes."

"Yeah," P3-T3R mutters. "But it's easier being mad than forgiving."

N1-C0 hums, "It is. In the short-term. The anger is easier than letting go, it feels worse as time goes on though. You can't hold grudges forever, because eventually they'll start weighing you down."

N1-C0 gives him a pat on the head, "But maybe you can stay angry a little longer. Sometimes they can teach you things, and sometimes you need to learn those lessons to move on."

P3-T3R nods, giving him a small smile. "Thanks, Nico."

"Nico?" N1-C0 asked, confused. P3-T3R seemed embarrassed but nodded. "Your numbers look like a name. You said you can't remember if you ever had a real name so I- I thought that maybe I could give you one, ya know?"

N1-C0 didn't say anything, pressing a hand to the tattoo at his throat. The silence was broken by a nervous laugh from P3-T3R. "It was stupid anyway-!"

"Nico," he experimented, loud enough to make P3-T3R freeze. Giving the boy a soft smile, N1- no, Nico confessed, "I like it. Thanks, Xander."

Xander beamed, relaxing at his words. The tears and nightmares from earlier long forgotten to the light atmosphere.

* * *

The next morning was a testing day. The handlers of each testing field would go through every subject's powers and if their medicine had made any changes to them. It was a routine that Nico was used to, but Xander was unnerved by the large amounts of people that came.

Nico stretched slightly, hovering close to Xander as subjects began being separated. A perky scientist with rounded glasses picked out a few people from every group. They walked towards Nico's group, a group that consisted of about 7 or 8 people. Looking them over, they pointed their fingers at Nico, Xander and ¢E-R0 and calling them over.

¢E-R0 was a teenage girl, only a few months younger than D13-G0, that had been in a top-secret project. It left the girl mute, moody, and with a nasty scar carved into her face. It was a new tattoo, her new callsign. As far as Nico had heard, she used to be called Z3-R0. 

The girl followed after Xander and Nico, the younger boy huddling close Nico whenever she got near. Xander was nervous, his hands clutching the sleeve of Nico's hoodie, one of his rewards, and refusing to let go. Nico tried to give him small comforts, trying to remember what it was the caretakers did whenever there were young recruits or subjects.

The small pat on the head seemed to calm him slightly, Xander reluctantly letting him go as they neared the field. 

This was their slice of the world. A fenced off, grassy knoll. The baby blue sky above them mixing with a dull gray, and it was their outside.

"Alright, we're going to give brief tests today! Just a quick show of your powers, at low, medium, and max, and we can go." The scientist said, looking over the group. 

¢E-R0 went first, instantly large vines with sharp thorns grew below her. She backed up, and the scientist nodded. "Ah, the booster! That's all we need from you, carry on."

She nodded, barely casting them a glance before moving on, back to her room.

Nico was next, with a small wave of hand the ground split in a small crack, big enough to get your leg stuck. "Continue."

Sighing, Nico pressed a hand to the ground, large pieces of the ground below rose. And with another thought, more fell. Like a machine, the world rose and fell mechanically, shaking the earth with it.

"Ah-, uh, continue." The scientist meekly said, barely catching themselves from tripping. Nico nodded, casting a side ways glance to Xander, who had latched on to him during the earthquake, and moving to get them closer.

Nico's powers were dangerous and powerful. Mico would rather not have Xander be caught in their crossfire.

Taking a deep breath, he concentrated,, pressing both hands to the ground. And the earth shook,, rumbling and shaking even the large, incredibly sturdy building behind them. 

They only did these once a month, but every month Nico's powers would shake their building and force them to pay for whatever damages his powers cost.

With Xander there though, Nico didn't want to hurt him. Opening his eyes, he looked next to him. Xander clutched onto his arm, but he wasn't frightened. Only in awe.

Grinning at him, Xander yelled a challenge. "Bet you can't do anything else!"

Grinning back, Nico finally pushed the safety limit of his powers.

Around them, small pieces of earth rose and fell sporadically. The world was twisted, mountains rising and falling but never close to Nico and Xander. Cracks appeared in the yard, spreading further and further until,

Nico fell, the scientist's hands pressing down on the safety button on their tablet. Xander cried out, but Nico was holding his head, feeling the stupid buzzing filling his brain.

The world shook with his pain, something he's never let happen before. But as Xander cries out, Nico wants whoever is hurting him to stop.

But then someone was pulling his hands from his head and the cuffs are on his wrists.

It does little to stop his struggling, trying to get to the scared child he had taken under his wing. Small cracks appear beneath the scientists feet, and Nico trips over himself to reach Xander.

His hands are useless, but Xander wraps his arms around Nico's middle. They sob, and Nico lets them fall to the ground together. The scientist doesn't say anything, in shock and fear as the shaking slowly subsides.

They are sent to Nico's room together, an exhausted but overprotective Nico still in cuffs and Xander, eyes red and puffy, is officially roomed with Nico.

~~_(Subject N1-C0 has developed protective tendencies over Subject P3-T3R. N1-C0 has been documented as highly unstable and dangerous in situations where P3-T3R is in danger._ ~~

~~_They are to remain by each other at all times to prevent another episode._ ~~

~~_Subject P3-T3R is under no circumstances allowed to be hurt. It's powers are still undocumented.)_ ~~

* * *

Xander was flipping through the pages of _The Raven_ , an old hard cover book he hasn't touched in ages. Nico goes back to his puzzle, mindlessly letting the pieces match as the picture gets bigger and bigger.

"Nico, who's Maria Di'Angelo?" Xander asks, holding up the book. Nico squints at the words, his heart dropping as he recognizes the large, loopy words spelling the name. Coughing, he mutters, "That's my mom."

"What?" He gasps, turning to stare at the words in awe. "This is your mom's?"

Nico nods, not looking at Xander as they trace the beautiful cursive letters. Xander picks up the conversation, "She has such pretty handwriting, it looks hard to read but it's still so pretty!"

"Yeah," Nico starts, "My mom liked writing in cursive, she taught Bianca when she was a girl, and Bianca taught me."

"Wow!" Xander says, blinking up at him in wonder. "Can you teach me?"

"I don't know, it's something that gets passed down through the family and I don't-," Nico shifts awkwardly, finally glancing over at the kid. They look disappointed, silently looking down at the words. "Yeah. I'll teach you."

"Really? Awesome!" Xander cheers, rushing to grab a few pieces of paper and a pencil and then rush towards him.

Smiling, Nico slowly goes over the alphabet. Xander watches intensely, carefully trying his own letters. Its sloppily than Nico's, slanted in the wrong way.

"Nice job, Xander." He compliments, proudly staring down at the paper. "You're gonna have better handwriting than me one day, kid."

Xander giggles, and they are kids.

* * *

"No." He instantly denied, leaning against the wall, Xander standing across from him.

"What do you mean no?" He asked, bewildered. Nico sighed, "I meant, I'm not helping you escape."

Xander knuckles were white, his face begging for a reason. "Why? Why won't you even _try_ to get out of this hellhole?"

"When I turned 8, my sister tried to escape." Nico started, trying to stop himself from just putting Xander out of his misery right there.

"You already told me this story?" Xander asked, his youthful face still full of fury. Nico shook his head. "Not the real one." He continued on, Xander silent in their curious nature.

"My sister's name was Bianca," he said, Xander face twisted slightly. "She was only 2 years older than me Xander."

"She had gathered up this whole squadron of girls, although their leader was Z03, and they were going to escape. Just them." Nico tried not to sound bitter, but the wound were still fresh and this felt like rubbing salt into them. Xander looked heartbroken at his teary tone, the mere thought of pain breaking his soft heart. "They had every step planned out. They had a backup for almost every uncalculated piece."

"I guess what they never accounted for was a little brother who cares too damn much." Nico scathingly said, "I was worried and scared. My only safe space, my sister, was sneaking off and constantly looked tired. I finally decided to do something on the night they were escaping. I followed Bia, I was going to confront her. But then-, then a security bot caught me, a horrifying creature that was about to crush me under their steel feet. And Bia, she,"

Nico stops, taking in a scarce breath. Xander took half a step forward, his hand outstretched in concern before he pulled back. "She pushed me out of the way. She broke her leg under the thing and then smiled at me. She smiled at me and then the creature stomped on her again, and again, and again, and again, and again. And when it stopped, it went after me. And I ran, stepping over her bloody corpse and running. I made it back covered in blood and in shock. My sister was burned with the three other girls who hadn't managed to escape."

"Nico," Xander whispered, horrified. The 11-year-old reaching out and freezing midair as Nico flinches. 

Smiling bitterly, Nixo continues his self-woven tragedy. "And they praised me for coming back. They cleaned me and fed me. I think one of them hugged me. And then they gave me my own room." Laughing Hollowy, Nico pressed the dagger into his skin lightly. A thin line of blood dripped down, and he frowned. "I was the cause of my sister's death, Xander. I don't wanna be the cause of yours."

"Nico, that's not-," Xander stutters. His fury was gone, replaced by a crestfallen look. He whisper ferverntly into the wind, " That's horrible."

Nico gave a sad smile, "So you understand why-"

"I'm still doing it, Nico." Xander says. "I know you-, you think you're responsible for her death, but you're not. You were a child, you're barely a teen. What happened was horrible but I'm not giving up my future because you never learned how to grieve."

"That's not-!" Nico starts, cutting himself off. He looked down, biting tongue."I let her go years ago."

"And maybe you shouldn't have," Xander said, his voice soft. "Maybe you should have held onto her. Been angry. Been sad."

It was silent. Neither doing anything other than just staring. Nico spoke up, his voice quiet in the tense air.

"I can't stop you, Xander. And I still don't want you to do this, but I know you will either way. So I'll help, and you will get out of here."

Xander nodded. And before they had time to rethink, they hugged him. It made Nico pause, but they hugged him back.

And they stood there, in a room devoid of anyone but them, and they hugged.

* * *

"It's tonight, Nico." Xander hushedly said, only a few nights later. His golden-hazel eyes almost shining in the dusk lighting. "We're leaving tonight."

Nico narrows his eyes at the boy. "What?"

"It's tonight, Nico." Xander says, his voice like steel as he glances at the guards. Looking back, he softens into a more nervous, anxious kid."We need to escape tonight."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took too long. And I also don't like it too much, felt too rushed. But I was on a bit of a time crunch, so...

**Author's Note:**

> Leave kudos? Comments? Idk, just enjoy!


End file.
